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Oct 30, 2014

This weekend many of us will be changing our clocks back from Daylight Savings Time. It's a great time to also change your batteries in your smoke alarms, CO monitors and check that your fire extinguishers are fully charged.

We'll be doing ours for class today.

Fire safety is for every season, but with the colder weather arriving, many of us are starting to use our fireplaces, wood burning stoves and space heaters.

Start the class by asking the children for some safety tips concerning these. I always enjoy hearing what they know and sometimes busting some myths along the way. Discussion time is so important and gives you a great starting point.

So many times the children have opportunities to help grandma & grandpa or older neighbors with outside chores this fall, which is always encouraged, of course. However, remember, older adults may not anticipate the curiosity of younger children, leaving ladders & yard tools unattended. A word of caution to the adults and the children may be needed.

Even if your children aren't eligible for the actual contest, creating a poster will help reinforce what they have learned. Then encourage them to share this important information with family & friends.

Oct 9, 2014

Handwashing has always been an important part of our daily hygiene routine, however, with flu season approaching and the various viruses in the news, it seems like a good time to review the proper practice of handwashing.

This class time can start simply by asking the children why they think handwashing might be important, how can clean hands really save someone's life?!

Proper handwashing, helps prevent illnesses and the spread of infections to others.

Ask children, "when should you wash your hands?"

Answers could include: after using the toilet, before meal time, before & after applying first aid or helping someone who is sick, after coughing or sneezing and blowing your nose, after petting animals or caring for pets, and my personal favorite after shopping at grocery or department stores.

After discussing the "when" we will practice the "how"!

The are five simple steps to effective handwashing: Wet, lather, scrub, rinse and dry.

handwashing: 5 simple steps

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.

Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

You may want to schedule snack time after this class now that everyone has clean hands!

Mom notes:

You know your child best, if they are hearing and understanding the news reports about ebola and the enterovirus you can certainly bring those topics to the table when discussing how clean hands can save lives.

Thanks for joining us,

see you next week.

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disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This article is only intended to serve as an encouragement to discuss handwashing basics and give safety class ideas to homeschoolers.

Oct 2, 2014

Accidents can happen anytime, anywhere, that's why it's important to have a first aid kit at home & in the car when you travel. We want to choose quality products that improve health care and have the ability to adhere to skin in water.

Here's a basic starter list to build your own kit:

*first aid antibiotic cream

*sterile bandages

*ice packs

*elastic bandages

*sharp scissors

*alcohol pads

*thermometer

*tweezers

*gauze

*adhesive tape

*bottled water

*Acetaminophen or ibuprofen along with a dosage chart

*a list of important telephone numbers such as doctors,

poison control center and other emergency contacts.

Discuss what other items your family might need to include in your kits.

Use this class to talk about making first aid kits and take note which items you may need to purchase. Or if you have all items on hand, use the class to build them using a zippered tote bag or storage container with a lid.

We will be making a kit for the 2nd car during our class.

Be sure to discuss some basic first aid during the class too! Clean it, coat it, cover it! There really should be a fourth C, CHECK IT! Check the wound daily to make sure it's healing properly.

Depending on the student's ages, practice The 3 C's on an area of their arm or leg.

Mom notes:

One year the boys made individual first aid kits in Cub Scouts using a 35mm film canister. They included an antiseptic wipe and a band aid then twisted a pipe cleaner around the canister to make a loop for their belt to slide through. They were very proud of their kits, kept them for quite a while and refilled them when necessary.

Thanks for joining us,

see you next week!

♥ Follow Me On Bloglovin'

scroll down to see where I'll be sharing today's post.

disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This article is only intended to serve as an encouragement to discuss first aid basics and give safety class ideas to homeschoolers.